Method of manufacturing draft yokes



June 28 1927. 1,633,670

} B.IW.'KADEL I unmon'or' unumrunm unmmas Filed Sept. 2, im 7 s sheets-sheep 1 Elwoemtoa June 2 1927. V

8 a. w. KADEL I IETHOD OF IANUFACTURING DRAFT YOKES Filed Se t. 2. 1522 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lulmlll I:

HHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII l 1 t O u 1 a v n 3 June 28, 1927. 1,633,670

B. w. KADEL METHOD OF MANUFACTURING DRAFT Y OK ES Filed Sept. 2, 1922 s Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 28, 1927.

UNITED STATES IBYERS W.

METHOD OF'MANUFACTURING DRAFT YoKEs.

Application filed September 2, 1922. Serial No. 585,946.

This invention relates to railway car draft rigging and more particularly to a method of manufacturing yokes of the so-called vertical type comprising a hooded end and a loop member or yoke strap connected thereto from forged or wrouglit'metal.

To this end the principal object of the invention, generally stated, is to provide a process for constructing vertical yokes by combined forging, pressing and welding operations.

An object of the invention is to provide a process for manufacturing vertical yokes of a conventional type with a minimum amount of labor with relatively small loss of metal.

Another object of the invention is to pro- Vide a process for the manufacture of draft rigging yokes in which the finished product will closely conform in dimensions to the cast yokes of the conventional type to there byv permit the ready replacement of cast yokes by the improved yoke without requir ing rearrangement or modification of the draft rigging pockets now provided on railway cars.

A further object of the invention is to provide a two-piece yoke wherein the full area of the yoke is maintained, the two pieces forming said yoke being interlocked in a strong and durable joint adapted to be subsequently welded.

The method or process will be more fully understood from the description of the various steps thereof and particularly when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein is illustrated the several steps of the process employed. For convenience of description the steps of the process will be described in sequence. It is to be understood, however, that the. arrangement of these steps may be varied without modifying the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the hooded end of the yoke and the forward end portion of one of the yoke arms prior to the assembly thereof.

Figure 2 is a top plan view showing the yoke head and yoke arm in assembled or interlocked position.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the construction shown in Figure 2.

Figure a is a View in elevation of the billet after being pierced and partially shaped to form the hooded end of the yoke.

Figure 5 is an end view of the partially shaped billet shown in Figure 4.

Figure 7' is a top plan View ofthe hooded cut to receive the ends of the yoke strap.

head shown in Figure 6.

KADEL, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOB, BYiIiEsnE ASSIGNMENTS, To THE SYMING'ION COMPANY, A CORPORATION or MARYLAND.

Figure 8 is a 'topplan v ew of the forward end of the finished yoke. j Figure 9 is a central longitudinal vertical sectional view of the constructionshown in Figure 8.

Figures 10, 11 and 12 are, respectively,

transverse, vertical sectional views taken onthe correspondingly numbered section lines of Figure 8, the section, being viewed in the directions indicated by the arrows, thejoint and weld thereof beingdiagrammatically illustrated by the dot and dash lines.

Throughout the specification and drawings similar reference-characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In carrying out the method of manufacturing draft rigging yokes, I preferably form the hooded end portion 1 of the yoke by piercing a billet to produce therefrom a hollow member open at'both ends. This hollow member is formed either rectangular or substantially so and is subjected to a suitable pressing operation so as to provide the hollow rectangular form from which is produced the hooded head of the yoke; The pair of oppositely disposed walls in said member are then cut away for the major portion of the length thereof, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. Theremaining v the walls forming the band 2 which connects the remaining uncut walls adjacent one end of the rectangular member are then pierced,

as at 3, to provide the same with alined key receiving slots and by a suitable process the metal forced from the slots 3 is formed on the outer faces of said walls to produce reinforcement surrounding the marginal edges of the slots 3 for the major portion of the portions of V length thereof. In addition, the metal in the upper and lower portions of said uncut walls 4 is alsoforced toward the slots 3' thereby increasing the cross section of the reinfor'cing flanges surrounding the slots and providing a greater bearing surface for the key connecting the yoke with the coupler, as will be understood. This latter metal thus removed from the upper and lower edges of the walls leaves said walls converging to the rounded forward end, as shown in Figure 6, thereby forming strong and durable coupler receiving jaws. The connecting band 2 of-the liOOtlBtl end portion is formed with undercut portions 5, said undercut portions providing relatively wide 1ecesses at the top and bottom extending longitudinally of the yoke and terminating in the forward and rear edges of said band. The uncut portions of the band provide opposite walls or flanges adjacent the recesses arranged to converge longitudinally and for- WaI'dly of the yoke, as clearly shown in Fig ure 1.

The looped member or yoke strap 6 comprises a bar suitably bent or looped. as shown in Figure 3, and is provided at its ends with a plurality of inclined portions? forming rearwardly facing outwardly ere tending shoulders 8. The end portions of the yoke strap are arranged in alinement and are adapted to be fitted within the undercut portions or recesses provided on the hooded member, as best shown in Figure 2., the shoulders 8 being arranged to engage the forward edge of the band 2 and the rear set of oppositely disposed inclined faces 7 contacting the converging flanges or walls adjacent the recess. The forward set of oppositely disposed inclined faces 7 extend between the walls 4 of the hooded member, at the top and bottom thereof, the metal forming the intermediate portion of the ends between the inclined faces being worked out- WaI'dly to engage the upper and lower edges of the side walls of the yoke and downwardly to contact the entire forward edge of the band portion 2, as shoWn in Figures 8 and 9. The contour of the ends of the yoke strap member 6, after forging or pressing the material, as above described, is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. The rear set of inclined faces 7 terminate at or about the rear edge of the connected band portion 2, adjacent and oppositely inclined faces being provided which serve to form tapering continuations of the side walls of the hooded head of the yoke and unite the upper and lower portions of the bar 6 therewith, as best shown in Figures 2 and 4.

With the two members interlocked, as above described, they form a T-shaped joint of maximum strength value. When thus as sembled the parts are now welded along the joints, as indicated by the dot and dash lines. said welding serving to form the hooded end and strap members into a single yoke capable of withstanding maximum strains under service conditions. The engaging and forming of the extreme end portions of the strap member or bar 6 into an integral part of the hooded head also renders the same capable of withstanding strains which would tend to spread the walls of the yoke. Various methods of welding the parts may be employed.

I claim:

1. The method of manufacturing a hooded draft yoke which consists in forming the hooded end portion by piercing a billet, cutting away portions of oppositely disposed walls of said pierced billet, the uncut portions of said walls forming bands for connecting the other two oppositely disposed walls, undercutting th inner faces of said outer surfaces of said bands, and finally connecting the loop member at its free ends to said bands and to the adjacent uncut walls to complete the yoke.

2. The method of manufacturing a hooded draft yoke which consists in forming the hooded end portionby piercing a billet,

cutting away portions of the top and bottom walls of said billet for a portion of the length thereof, the remaining portions of said walls forming bands connecting the side walls of said billet adjacent the inner end thereof, undercutting the outer surfaces of said bands and finally positioning said bands between the free ends of a loop member and connecting the same thereto to complete said yoke.

3. The method of manufacturing a hooded draft yoke which consists in piercing a billet to form a hollow member substantially rectangular in section, cutting away opposit-e walls of said member for substantially the entire length thereof, forming undercut recesses in the pair of oppositely disposed walls of said member, providing alined slots in said jaws, and finally connecting the loop member to the remaining portions of said first named walls to complete the yoke.

l. The method of manufacturing a hoool-' ed draft yoke which consists in piercing a billet from end to end, shaping saidpierced billet to form a substantially rectangular hollow member, removing a pair of opposite walls for substantially the entire length thereof, shaping the other pair of opposite walls to form coupler receiving jaw portions, forming alined slots in said jaw por tions, forming reinforcements on the outer faces of said jaw portions surrounding the respective slots therein, positioning the first named pair of walls between the arms of a loop member and finally welding said loop member to the outer faces of said first named walls to complete the yoke.

5. The method of manufacturing a hooded draft yoke which consists in forming a jaw member, the rear portion of which is box-shaped in section, undercutting 'the outer faces of opposite walls of said rear portion, forming the opposite end portions of a bar with laterally extending shoulders,

bending said bar into loop form with the end portions thereof in alinement, engaging the end portions of said loop with said undercut faces of said jaw member, and finally welding said engaging portions.

6. The method of manufacturing a hooded draft yoke which consists in forming a unitary jaw member, the rear portion of which is box-shaped in section, undercutting the outer faces of oppositewalls of said rear portion, forming the opposite end portions of a bar'with two sets of inclined faces form ing rear-wardly facing outwardly extending shoulders intermediate said sets, bending said bar into loop form, the end portions of said loop overlying and engaging with said undercut faces of said jaw member, and finally Welding said engaging portions.

7. he method of manufacturing a hooded draft yoke which consists in forming the coupler receivingjaws united by a rear band portion, cutting said band portion to form recesses cooperating with the forward edges of said band and forming portions of a T- shaped joint, shaping yoke side arms'with T-shaped ends for engagement with the shaped portion of said band, and finally welding said engaging portions.

wardly extending shoulders, bending said 7 bar into loop form, engaging the inner faces of said end portions of said loop with said recesses and thefront and rear edges of said band, and finally welding said engaging portions.

In testnnony whereof I ai fix my signature.

BYERS W. KADEL. 

